The Minds of Animals, by author Mary Ellis

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

guest blogger Mary Ellis

Have you ever noticed that animals sometimes know who likes them and who doesn’t? I have been amazed how often they can tell friend from foe, or who happens to be afraid of them. Too bad we as humans don’t possess the same sixth sense.

In my latest book, A Little Bit of Charm, my character has just moved to her cousin’s organic chicken farm. Although Rachel adores horses and takes a job working with Thoroughbred race horses, she has never met a chicken she liked—except fried on her dinner plate with a side of coleslaw. Her cousin, Sally, loves her job and has several pet hens following her around the barnyard, clucking merrily. One of those chickens takes an immediate and irrational dislike for Rachel. The bird torments my heroine any time she comes near. Never enter the free-range enclosure with bare shins becomes Rachel’s hard-learned lesson.

In real life, my aunt had a wild crow that followed her around the neighborhood when she was a child. From telephone pole to treetop, “Blackie” would keep tabs on my aunt while she rode her bike, picked blackberries, or waded in the creek. Often he sat on her shoulder if she walked slowly and fed him cracked corn. However, my aunt’s girlfriend disparaged all birds as “dirty, disease carriers.” This friend didn’t fare so well when caught in Blackie’s territory. The crow often chased her down the path and once tangled his talons in her hair.

In my personal experience, I once invited eight ladies for a summer luncheon and game of croquet on the lawn. My neighbor, who decided to join the party late, arrived with her hundred-and-fifty pound dog. As you might guess, one of the croquet players was deathly afraid of dogs. And of course, Wolfgang ran straight for this unfortunate woman, causing a major case of anxiety.

How did he know? A better question might be how is it we don’t know when fellow humans have evil intentions. Perhaps we have something to learn from chickens, crows, and man’s best friends.

~Mary Ellis, author of A Little Bit of Charm
“The third in the beautifully written New Beginnings series continues the King sisters’ road to happiness after tragedy. The characters are well thought-out and each one is looking for a fresh start.”
4-stars RT Book Reviews

To buy Mary’s new book on Amazon, click here! A Little Bit of Charm (The New Beginnings Series)

A Little Bit of Charm
Mary Ellis
ISBN 978-0-7369-3868-6

A Dream Come True…
A Loss Like No Other…
Is the Price of Happiness Worth the Cost?

 Rachel King, still recovering from the death of her parents, watches both of her older sisters find happiness in homes of their own with husbands who adore them. She yearns for her own new beginning.

Her cousin Sarah lives near a Thoroughbred stable in Kentucky, and the opportunity to work around beautiful horses has always been Rachel’s dream. She leaves Lancaster County to find a home with Sarah and her husband, Isaac, wondering about God’s plan for her life. When a job at Twelve Elms Stables opens up unexpectedly, it seems as though He has answered Rachel’s heartfelt prayers.

Then she meets Jake Brady, one of the owners of Twelve Elms, and her life becomes complicated. He’s attractive and charming, and his interest in her is flattering. But he’s also English as well as her boss. And is his trust in God as central to his life as it should be?

When Amish men she meets at church and singings start pursuing her, Rachel has important decisions to make. What does a young woman do when her heart puts her faith in jeopardy?

“The third in the beautifully written New Beginnings series continues the King sisters’ road to happiness after tragedy. The characters are well thought-out and each one is looking for a fresh start.”
4-stars RT Book Reviews

Mary Ellis is the bestselling author of many books, including A Widow’s Hope, An Amish Family Reunion, and Living in Harmony. She and her husband live in central Ohio, where they try to live a simpler style of life.

www.maryellis.net
http://www.maryeellis.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis

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Lyn Cote here–FOUR cats–count ’em–four. That’s 4!

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Guest blogger Lyn Cote here….

I’ve never had four cats before. I’ve always limited myself to one or two.

When my dh and I moved to our present home, we went to the local animal shelter and picked out two cats–one for me and one for my man–Sadie and V-8  (for the engine, not the juice)respectively.

We did this the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, because neither of our children–who still lived in another state–were coming to Thanksgiving dinner. We decided cats would attend!

Three years later, my daughter found her way to our house with her cat, Tricksy, short for Trickster. And what fun that was! Sadie did not want another cat and Tricksy hadn’t seen another cat since he left his mom’s litter. COMMOTION!

Then my mil passed away three years later (Do you see a pattern here?) and we inherited her cat Mutzie (Mutza is the Slovenian word for cat, and Steve’s mother was of Slovenian descent.) Mutzie had never lived with another animal and again Sadie did not think we needed another cat!

Mutzie hid in his catbed under my dh’s bedside table in the farthest corner of our bedroom at the far end of the house for about 6 weeks. Once a day I would escort him to the catbox and feed him and give him water. Otherwise, he was in that catbed.

Now he is just one of they guys, though Sadie does keep him in line!

 

 

Click here to buy Lyn’s wonderful new book!
The Baby Bequest (Love Inspired Historical)

The Baby Bequest
Lyn Cote
Love Inspired Historical
August, 2013

My latest book doesn’t have a cat in it, but it does have a newcomer, actually two newcomers. My heroine leaves her home in Galena IL for the wilderness of Wisconsin and my hero leaves Germany and also finds a new place in Wisconsin. The year is 1870 and Americans don’t much like “foreigners.”

Therein begins the conflict. Will love conquer prejudice?

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Operation Tree Cats! by author Kim Watters

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

We love our cats. All three of them. Of course what’s not to love in three high-strung, crazy, scamper around the house for no reason, bundles of energy that constantly keep us on our toes and up at night?

Especially at Christmas. You see, my son’s cat Lego thinks the tree is his personal hang out and all the cats think the the ornaments are their personal play toys. We thought that first year that by putting the ornaments away from the bottom, that the temptation wouldn’t be there.

Wrong. All three cats stood on their hind legs to swat at the ornaments near the bottom. A day didn’t go by where one of the kids and I wouldn’t pick up at least ten ornaments and hang them higher than before.
But what really surprised us was the day we found Lego peeking out from the branches near the top of the tree. Apparently, he liked the view from the tree better than the view from the top of the cats’ perch. Big sigh.

Visions of a downed tree filtered through my mind as to how to get the cat out without losing any more ornaments. Reaching in didn’t help because he just clawed his way higher. After the first few attempts I gave up. After all, the Christmas Tree is for everyone in the family, and since the cats are family…..I figured eventually he’d find his way down. He did but not before I snapped this picture. Unfortunately though, his climbing ability means that no ornament is safe on the tree.

We have yet to tie the tree to the wall, although we wonder when the tree will come tumbling over but until Lego’s  climbing days are over and the fascination with the dangling ornaments are behind all the cats, all glass and meaningful ornaments shall remain in the box until the next year or the year after that. I still enjoy looking at those ornaments, I just do it in the safety of the box.

Here’s a link for Kim’s new book!
A Season of Love (Love Inspired)

A Season of Love
by Kim Watters
Love Inspired

The Soldier’s Gift
Just in time for Christmas, a tall, dark and handsome Scrooge visits Holly Stanwyck’s holiday shop, threatening eviction. But once landlord Ethan Pellegrino sees the single mom’s plight, the former soldier becomes her protector instead. Suddenly he’s helping her with her struggling business and bounding with her troubled son. A wounded veteran come home to heal, Ethan is no stranger to sorrow. But something about the pretty widow fills him with hope. Will Holly be able to let go of her own painful past to see her future by his side?

Kim Watters
Stories From The Heart
www.kimwatters.com

 

 

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Who’s in Charge? The cat, of course! by author D.A. Featherling

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

by guest blogger D. A. Featherling

I am such a cat person! I’ve always loved them…more than dogs. Just the way I’m wired. It all started in my childhood when a neighbor had a momma cat (a very pregnant momma cat) wander in and populate them (and us) with a litter of kittens. That litter re-populated, and so on until my poor father finally declared ‘enough.’

I was cat-less for a number of years, going to school, working, getting married. But I finally acquired a cat I consider memorable…Pyewacket.  I didn’t name her; her former owner (a co-worker) did after the Siamese cat in the “Bell, Book, and Candle” book/movie. When his health issues prevented him from being able to care for his pet, he asked if I’d like to have her. Of course I would.

I should have suspected the cat was special when he told tales of her lurking on top of his car waiting for the neighborhood German shepherd dogs to show up. She would taunt the dogs, then as they passed by the car, leap on their backs and ‘ride’ them to the nearest tree where she’d jump off and ascend and smile that superior Siamese smile as they clamored around the trunk.

With a small child in the house, I wasn’t sure how this would work, but was willing to take a chance. Good thing. Pyewacket turned out to be a wonderful companion (well, as much as any cat is…unless they want to be one) and unique (to us) in a number of ways.

She was a lady, but a very assertive lady. If she wanted to go outdoors, she’d come to wherever I was and look at me and give one ‘meow.’ That was my cue to go let her outside. Never two “meow’s”…only one. If I didn’t respond, she’d go to the door and sit beside it and give one more ‘meow.’ By then, I knew I needed to get with it and get the door open and let her out. When she was ready to return, a scratching heralded her arrival to be let back in. Never a meow…only a scratch.

One of the most incredible things I ever witnessed with Pyewacket occurred when we brought home a bird on a stick we’d gotten my son at the circus. You held one end of the stick and twirled the string-attached bird around and it would make a noise and whirl.

Pyewacket went into hunting mode immediately. She crouched on the floor, watched the bird whirl around (powered by us), then sprang – straight up – and swiped at the bird with her paw.

Since we had ten-foot ceilings, this was a pretty amazing accomplishment. And she repeated it more than once, until she connected with the bird too many times and it broke.

Unfortunately, allergies have kept me from having a cat since, but Pyewacket will live on in my memory as the smartest, best cat ever. At least to this cat lover.

When I wrote my romantic comedy, “Kissing Frogs,” the story demanded a cat. Even though I’d not had any experience with white Persian cats, I used one in the story to amuse and astound readers. “Salem” (because he is such a trial!) steals the book and gives readers one more reason to love a cat.

Here’s a link so you can buy Dorothy’s charming new book!
Kissing Frogs  

 Kissing Frogs, Book 2 in the Second Time Around series released September 18, 2013:

“Until she decides to look for a husband, Em Snider is so-o-o-o in control of her life. But her trip on the internet matchmaking highway soon shows her that she can’t control the journey.

Her first encounter is a warning. There are toads out there! A Christian internet matchmaking service provides Em a chance to discover Prince Charming, if she can survive the shocks.Em is soon ready to quit, or will true love still come about in a way she never dreamed, if she’ll quit stepping on the brakes and let God be in control?”

Readers can connect with Dorothy on her website:  www.dafeatherling.com or on Facebook to keep up with her and her books. They are all available in Kindle or softcover from Amazon.com (click the link above the book cover.)

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Lobsters. They’re Not Just Food…by author Katy Lee

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

I’ll be honest. When I think of lobster, my taste buds jump to attention.  In fact, I recently enjoyed a delicious lobster bisque, the cream so thick and filled with big chunks of tasty, sweet meat.  And this big guy in the picture was a prize I won this past summer.  He fed us for days.

Now, I could go on and on with some wonderful recipes you could make with the meat of a lobster, like have you ever tried Lobster Mac and Cheese?  Yummm.

But food is not why I’m here today.  We’re supposed to be celebrating God’s creatures great and small, so I’ll try my hardest to keep my salivating glands from stealing the show and focus on the amazing attributes of the lobster, particularly the North Atlantic crustacean.

Like, for example, did you know a lobster can swim backward going 11 miles per hour?  They curl and uncurl their abdominal muscles to move.  And here I always thought they only poked around the bottom of the sea scourging for their next meal.  They have long bodies with muscular tails and five pairs of legs, both filled with tasty meat.  Oops, there I go again, back to thinking about food.

Okay, so let’s talk about their shells then.  Those are inedible.  Lobsters moult to grow, shedding their shells multiple times a year and living up to 60 years of age.  The largest lobster ever caught was in Nova Scotia and weighed 44.4 pounds.  Each time they moult many species change their color.  Most are a blackish red, but you might find a yellow lobster out there or an orange one.  You might even find the beautiful brilliant blue lobster.  That one I might have trouble eating.  Blue is my favorite color.

I have also found another lobster that I can’t eat.  This one is made of wool and goes by the cute name of Jacques Crusteau.  Get it? Crusteau? Crustacean?  Jacques is actually a knitted lobster pattern I found on Ravelry. Isn’t he cute?  I love his big eyes, and he is so very soft and cuddly. (Click to find the pattern if you want to make one yourself.) http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jacques-crusteau

The reason I set out to find a lobster pattern was because my latest book release, Warning Signs, has lobster pots on the cover.  A lobsterman plays a role in the mystery that happens on Stepping Stones Island, Maine.  But don’t worry, no lobsters were hurt or killed in the making of this story.  Not even in the name of research.

If you would like to win one of these knitted crustaceans leave a comment below with a protected email address, and I will put your name in a random drawing. And here’s a little bit about the story:

Click here to buy Katy’s new book!! 
Warning Signs (Love Inspired Suspense)

WARNING SIGNS
Love Inspired Suspense
by Katy Lee

GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT…
When a drug-smuggling ring rocks a small coastal town, the DEA sends Agent Owen Matthews to shut it down. A single father with a deaf son, Owen senses that the town’s number one suspect—the high school’s new principal—doesn’t fit the profile. Miriam Hunter hoped to shrug off the stigma of her hearing impairment when she returned to Stepping Stones, Maine. But her recurring nightmares dredge up old memories that could prove her innocence—and uncover the truth behind a decades-old murder. Yet Owen’s help may not be enough when someone decides to keep Miriam silenced—permanently.

RT Magazine Review:
4 ½ Stars –   “Miriam is a strong character who is not held back by what others may perceive as a weakness. Acceptance is a key theme as Lee dispels some misconceptions regarding people with hearing impairments.”

As an Inspirational Romantic Suspense author, Katy Lee writes higher-purpose stories in high-speed worlds. Through her writing, ministries, and teaching, she dedicates her life to sharing tales of love, from the “greatest love story ever told” to those sweet romantic stories of falling in love. Katy and her husband are born New Englanders and love to travel with their three adventuresome children.  You can connect with Katy anytime at her website, www.KatyLeeBooks.com. There you will find links to Facebook and Twitter.  Please look me up!

Also on my site you will find details to take part in the Lighthouse Photo Contest.  I hope to receive lighthouses from around the world. So please, take part!

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Author Lisa Belcastro, Shenandoah Crossings, and a cat named Ben

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Have you ever received a pet as a gift? Even when you weren’t in the market for a pet?

I didn’t want another cat. I was a dog person, especially Corgis. And, we already had two very nice felines living in our home thanks to my daughters. Three years earlier, the girls had begged and pleaded for a cat for Christmas.  Not one cat between them, mind you, but a cat for each of them.  Though they were thirteen and seventeen at the time, I found notes written to Santa and couldn’t refuse their heartfelt pleas.

This past February, I was in my home office working, with Kayla beside me at the table finishing up her homework, when a loud meow echoed through the kitchen. “Kayla, please let the cat in,” I asked.

“Mom, they’re right here,” she said.  I looked over at her and, sure enough, Melody was sitting in her lap and Chloe was on the rug.

The meowing continued. I jumped up and hustled over to the kitchen door.  On our porch, on a day that was a frigid seven degrees and would drop below zero over night, was an emaciated, filthy orange cat. He saw me staring down at him and began wailing.

I opened the door and was greeted by a stench so foul I gagged.

“Mom,” Kayla cried, “You have to let him in.”

Retrieving the old German Shepherd crate from the basement, I snuggled him into the huge box. He collapsed.  Between you and me, I doubted he would make it through the night.  Hours later, before I went to bed, he was still sleeping. (Yes, I checked to make sure he wasn’t dead.)The next morning he was alive, awake and hungry. I opened the crate and he crawled into my arms. My heart melted. I was a goner. I named him Ben after the hero in my first book.

Knowing what I had to do, I called the local animal shelter to report a stray. They had a report for a missing orange male.  My heart sank. I drove to the shelter praying it wasn’t “my” cat.  The missing pet turned out to be a neutered male, not my Ben.  Nonetheless, Ben had to stay for one week while the shelter examined him, called the neighboring vets, and posted his “found” status on the Internet.

The following Friday, Ben came home with me. He was bathed, neutered and vaccinated. Over the last seven months Ben has grown to triple his size. He’s fit, healthy and gainfully employed. Ben, you see, is now my office manager. He sleeps on the desk beside my computer all day while I work. Every couple of hours he stretches out across the keyboard to let me know that we need a break. He’s tried typing, but honestly his words don’t add much to the story.

I didn’t want a cat, but God knew better. And I thank Him daily for the gift of Ben.

 

Click here for  an Amazon link to buy her latest book:   Shenandoah Crossings

Shenandoah Crossings
by Lisa Belcastro
Oak Tara Publishers
Released August, 2013
The second novel in the Winds of Change trilogy

Tess Roberts may live on Martha’s Vineyard, vacation spot for movie stars and presidents, but the Island feels anything but idyllic. Tess has had it with lousy dates, lying, cheating men, and the rules that forbid her from working on her family’s centuries-old schooner, Shenandoah.

Lucky for Tess, she knows a secret—the Shenandoah has magical powers. Her best friend, Rebecca O’Neill, once stayed in Cabin 8 and discovered a time portal that transported her to 1775. A month after Rebecca’s “disappearance,” Tess’s father, brother, and Shenandoah’s annoying first mate, Hawk, plan to shut down the time travel for good by dismantling the cabin. But what if Rebecca might someday need to come home? What if Tess isn’t ready to say goodbye forever?

Sneaking onto the ship late at night, Tess slips into Cabin 8 and drifts off to sleep. She wakes anchored off the New England coast amidst the American Revolution in 1776. The British frigate HMS Greyhound has seized Shenandoah and taken the crew, cargo, and all onboard hostage. To make matters worse, Hawk is relentlessly tracking her, determined to bring her back to the twenty-first century against her will. Sparks begin to fly, from more than cannonballs and gunpowder….

www.lisabelcastro.com
www.facebook.com/belcastrolisa

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9-11-01

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Just a short message today…in memory of the tragedy that took nearly 3,000 lives twelve years ago.  We were in town today, and seeing flags at half-mast, hearing commentary on the radio and reading the newspaper this morning brought back vivid memories of how the events unfolded that day.  I remember so clearly exactly where I was that morning–at this same desk, working on a book, when a friend called and told me to turn on the TV.  Neither tower had fallen yet…and the horror, grief and disbelief were overwhelming.  My thoughts and prayers today are with the survivors, and the families of those who were tragically lost.

It’s still just so terribly, unspeakably sad.

All the best to you and your loved ones,

Roxanne

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Nanook the Husky, and author Laura Hilton

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Guest blogger Laura V. Hilton 

Our first dog was a Siberian Husky. She was a red and white dog, with icy blue eyes.  My son wanted a sled dog team at the time and he had a bunch of wintery/Alaskan names to pick out.  He named her Slush.  Unfortunately, an accident took Slush away too soon, and Michael got a second dog, a  Siberian Husky mix. He also is red and white, but he has brown eyes.  We named him Nanook.

Nookie thinks he’s a human.  He wants to be inside with the family – but if he is outside, he wants to lay on the front deck so he can see anyone who comes. He hates black or brown trucks, so he hates the UPS man.  It got to the point that some packages come with labels – “beware of dog.”  He’s never bitten the UPS men though.  Yet.

He’s nine years old, and Michael says he’s lazy since  he sleeps all day. Nookie thinks that’s part of his job though. As is inspecting the mail and packages, and killing any animal intruders that dare enter our yard. Unfortunately, that means baby bunnies. He’s treed the neighbor’s cat multiple times, and tangled with a skunk.

I used a Siberian Husky in one of my books, basing him on Nanook.  Awakened Love doesn’t have a Siberian Husky in it, but it does have puppies!

Here’s a link to buy Laura’s newest book release on Amazon:
Awakened Love (Amish Of Webster County V3)

AWAKENED LOVE
Laura Hilton
Whitaker House Publishing

 Katie Detweiler grew up Amish, never knowing she was adopted as an infant. Now an adult, her new job as cook at an Amish bed and breakfast doesn’t bring about the euphoria she hoped for. Just as she’s getting her menu perfected, the Englisch family and severely ill sister she never knew existed enter her life and strain her Amish relationships. Plus, Katie suddenly has two different men vying for her attention—one Amish, one Englisch—and she wonders if one of them could be the man of her dreams. But when her Englisch sister’s health worsens, Katie must find a way to balance her heart, her job, and her faith while risking her own life for the sister she never knew.

 

About the author:

Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools three of her children. Her two oldest children are homeschool graduates and are in college. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor.

Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts, and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love. Surrendered Love and Awakened Love,  releasing September 2013. A nonAmish book The Appalachian Ballad Quilt will release November 2014 from Abingdon Press. She is contracted for another three book Amish series with Whitaker House, The Amish of Jamesport, releasing in April 2014, September 2014, and April 2015.

Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and she is a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with over a thousand book reviews published at various online review sites.

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My Canine Writing Assistant by Collette Cameron

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Guest blogger:  Collette Cameron

The last time I was a guest on Roxanne’s blog, I wrote about Kiki, my dachshund who died last October. I wasn’t going to replace her. After all, I still had four dachshunds and a lab, but after a month of watching me cry, my husband and daughter begged me to get a  puppy.

How could I replace Kiki though? She was so devoted, calm, and loving. To make them happy, I half-heartedly began  searching for a doxie pup.

My first choice was to do a rescue, but because I have other doxies and I work very part-time teaching, I was turned down.  Quite by accident, I came across an advertisement for mini doxies. They were located in my hubby’s hometown.  So after contacting the seller, my daughter and made the trip. I still wasn’t too keen on the idea of getting another dog.

A new puppy?  Lots of work;  just like having a baby in the house. And the housetraining?  Did I really want to go through that again?

The seller had five puppies available.  Two black, two chocolate, and one red. There was one female whose picture had touched me. She’d look terrified and had an odd scar on her forehead.  When I picked her up (a whopping two pounds), she crawled onto my shoulder and snuggled against my neck. I looked at my daughter. She had that look on her face.

The puppy had picked me as dachshunds do.

I named her Ayva after the A-shaped scare on her forehead. The vet said it was most likely caused by a strep infection when she was born.  Ayva was sweet, shy, and timid…for about a day. Then the real puppy emerged. A fearless imp that had no idea she was at the bottom of the doggy ladder. She chewed up nearly 60 things in the first three weeks: shoes, rugs, books, dog toys, purses—anything and everything she got her teeth on.

My hubby affectionately called her an alligator on day. I said, “No, she’s the Ayvagator.”  The name stuck. We call her Baby Gator as often as we do Ayva.

Hence my journey writing my second novel, The Viscount’s Vow commenced with Ayva on my lap. She nibbled the keyboard, licked and chewed on me, but also spent hours asleep on my lap. We bonded so closely those first months that to this day, she has to be within sight of me. Though she’s a mini doxie, she’s outgrown my lap and prefers sleeping on the back of a overstuffed chair in my writing room.  She reminds me when I need to take a break from writing by sticking her head between my knees and staring at me.

I named a maid in The Viscount’s Vow after her. It’s just my way of having this rambunctious little darling live on forever.  By-the-way, my current work in progress has a doxie named Kiki in it.

You can click here to buy Colette’s new book on Amazon!
The Viscount’s Vow (A Regency Romance)

The Viscount’s Vow
by Collette Cameron
Release date September 4, 2013

 Amidst murder and betrayal, destiny and hearts collide when scandal forces a viscount and a  gypsy noblewoman to marry in this Regency romance, sprinkled with suspense, humor, and inspiration.

Half Romani, half English noblewoman, Evangeline Caruthers is the last woman in England Ian Hamilton, the Viscount Warrick, could ever love—an immoral wanton responsible for his brother’s and father’s deaths. She thinks he’s a foul-tempered blackguard, who after setting out to cause her downfall, finds himself forced to marry her—snared in the trap of his own making.

When Vangie learns the marriage ceremony itself may have been a ruse, she flees to her gypsy relatives, declaring herself divorced from Ian under Romani law. He pursues her to the gypsy encampment, and when the handsome gypsy king offers to take Ian’s place in Vangie’s bed, jealousy stirs hot and dangerous.

At last, under a balmy starlit sky, Ian and Vangie breech the chasm separating them. Peril lurks though. Ian’s the last in his line, and his stepmother intends to dispose of the newlyweds so her daughter can inherit his estate. Only by trusting each other can they overcome scandal and murderous betrayal.

“A brilliant tale combining Regency romance with exotic Romani culture.”

Collette would love hearing from you.
http://collettecameron.com
http://blueroseromance.com

 Here’s an Amazon link to buy Collette’s previous book, HIGHLANDER’S HOPE!
Highlander’s Hope

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So many years….

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Sometimes it’s hard to believe how fast time flies.  It seems like yesterday that I was in college for my undergraduate degree…and those were the days! I loved school.  Every semester, a brand new world–interesting things to learn, different people, new challenges.  Fortunately, I had a good job and could support myself and my horse (I worked part time as a dental hygienist), so I stayed in school for years, changed my majors several times and just enjoyed every minute. Skiing in the winter and horse shows the rest of the year filled my spare time.

Then  I got married, moved away (with horses and cats in tow!) and enjoyed the adventure of small town life in Illinois.  Quite a change from living in St Paul to attend the U of M!    A year later we moved to  eastern Iowa, where we’ve been ever since, on ten acres with our horses and kids.

And how that time has flown. I guess I’m feeling a tad nostalgic, because yesterday was our 37th anniversary.  How can that be?!   During that time I got my Master’s degree, we had three amazing kids who are now grown and married to wonderful people,  and we raised a lot of horses.  There’ve been good times, and some rough times, but I’m so very thankful that we were able to weather the storms and are still together.  I appreciate my husband now more than ever!

So…what are some of your happy memories from the past?

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